1998 Acura RL - Consumer Discussions

Luxury Performance Sedans

• Re: Jaguar XF vs Infiniti M45 vs Audi A6 3.0T [houdini1]

  Written by: vigorlover on Mar 16, 2009 10:51:23 AM

  Thanks for your suggestion. I bought one of the very first Acura Vigors to reach America back in 1991, and I had it for 16 years. I loved that car! I am disappointed by the styling direction that the new Acuras have taken, and am not really turned on by either TL or RL. I currently own a 1999 A4 2.8 Quattro and 1998 Jaguar XK8 Convertible. I did take a ... Read More

Acura RL

• CD Player in 1998 Acura RL

  Written by: theautowithin on Aug 1, 2007 9:32:08 PM

  Hi yall I was wondering if any one knew, where to install the CD player in 1998 Acura RL or if u guys know where i can find the answer on the internet. Thank you

Luxury Performance Sedans

• Re: I still [tayl0rd]

  Written by: markcincinnati on Aug 23, 2006 8:00:51 AM

  As a card carrying geek (or at least a member of older-geeks-USA), the Acura has very little geek appeal from what I can see. My friends, my non-Audi, but often BMW driving/owning friends have, for years, called Audis the "technofile's" car (which is pretty close to geek.) This WAS because the Audi cockpits had full gauges, all wheel drive, knobs and push and pull buttons/levers and the word quattro spelled out ... Read More

Acura RL Maintenance and Repair

• no title

  Written by: mitcht on Apr 21, 2006 8:35:05 PM

  Sorry to hear you're having these many problems and no one to attend to them. Let me be frank - I don't own any stocks of Honda Motors nor any member of my family works for them. So I have no reason to defend them. But the facts have to be presented as they are. I own 2 Honda products: 1. 1998 Accord 4 cylinders with 130,000 miles. It is such ... Read More

Acura RL Prices Paid and Buying Experience

• Re: Carmax??? [pappy164]

  Written by: mevande on Jan 1, 2006 1:45:38 AM

  I need to sell the car myself (1998 BMW 740i). The car does look like it was off the truck new from a dealer and has new tired (700.00 for 4 and that is 200.00 off my 1st offer:)). I actually need (and want) the RL for practical reasons. I accepted a new position that requires a little more travel, ie 4 hours round trip to one client once a week. ... Read More

Luxury Performance Sedans

• Spinning along. . .

  Written by: markcincinnati on Jun 3, 2005 8:16:49 AM

  All good points, all hit some target's bulls-eye. This report showing Audi has slipped to the bottom of the heap has to be particularly galling (to Audi and its most loyal fans) no matter how we try to spin it. Were I a completely objective observer (I'm not) and at least somewhat aware of the concepts of "retailing" (I'm at least an amateur at this), I would think that the Audi ... Read More

Acura RL

• Re: RL - minor modifications/tweaking we would like to see next year [cove148]

  Written by: markcincinnati on Feb 7, 2005 6:10:25 PM

  The car would be dead if AWD was made an option since the car would remain FWD.   The RL is a bargain, relatively speaking -- make that a 300HP V8 and rock on.   Or, make the car RWD, base, and AWD an option.   AWD -- at most -- accounts for $2,000 at the retail level. Still seems like a bargain.   The M's from Infiniti may have the ... Read More

Luxury Performance Sedans

• The problem...

  Written by: ckelly14 on Feb 3, 2005 12:03:24 AM

  We are a special group. My wife makes fun of me because I test drive a new car every week. However, my guess is that the majority of buyers in the 40K+ market are just as concerned with what the car says about them as they are with the car itself. That is the problem I have with the Acura and the Infinity models. The exterior styling does not say "I ... Read More

Acura RL

• Before my experience

  Written by: driftracer on Jan 5, 2005 8:50:11 AM

  is called into question...let me give an example. 1998, when the VW Beetle came out, our dealership got faxes every day from dealerships willing to pay MSRP for them, with the buyer covering shipping, etc. With offers like these, why discount them (at the time).   Same for the new body style CR-V, same for the Mini Cooper, and so on. And same for the Acura RL.

• Re: styling [y2ktony]

  Written by: robertsmx on Dec 2, 2004 11:53:15 AM

  If I had to rank european brands based on cookie cutter styling, MB would rank on top. The only thing that really stands out in a typical Benz is the grill. Audi, would fit at the other end of the spectrum. If I were to pick a car solely based on exterior styling, Audi/VW could be it. BMW has tried hard to move away from relatively docile styling but fell face ... Read More

• Re: HP vs. Torque vs. Performance [habitat1]

  Written by: robertsmx on Nov 29, 2004 9:32:45 AM

  The inflation in horsepower ratings does not appear to have produced significant gains in performance C&D has tested Acura TL at 5.8s with manual transmission (of course, and I would expect a similar number for RL had Acura equipped it with one). That’s pretty good for a 3500 lb. sedan and considerably faster than a 190 HP 3100 lb. car with manual transmission doing the run in 6.8s (the old Maxima). ... Read More

• Re: Got my brochure. What you want to know? [shotgun]

  Written by: ceric on Oct 3, 2004 9:41:29 PM

  Ceric - I'm getting conflicting reports on what the "Lakeshore Silver" looks like. Some say it's greenish silver, other claim it's blueish, yet others point to pictures where it looks medium blue almost like denim. This Meteor silver has a tint of green and blue in it. It depends on your eyes and the lighting. Honda has this color in many models, Odyssey, Pilot. My BMW has a very similar color ... Read More

• Re: Adaptive Cruise [jjacura]

  Written by: robertsmx on Sep 21, 2004 8:17:39 PM

  Acura doesn't, but Honda has it, and offers in Japanese Accord and Inspire (besides a galore of other things). Actually, Acura showcased it with 1998 Acura TL-X concept but hasn't offered it yet. OTOH, Acura is offering different kind of technologies stuffed in this RL.

• no title

  Written by: robertsmx on Aug 24, 2004 10:14:10 AM

  I doubt the night vision (Honda showcased it first in the Dualnote prototype at 2001 Tokyo Motor Show) and LKAS (Lane Keep Assist) will make it to the RL. They will definitely be offered in Japan since the lesser models have it. Intelligent cruise control (something that we expected to see in 1999 TL since 1998 TL-X concept had it) will definitely be offered. I would like to see Acura offer ... Read More

• no title

  Written by: robertsmx on Jul 28, 2004 8:44:57 AM

  Headlights have been a very defining things in Acura/Honda lineup since the early 90s. Was there another mainstream car in 1990 or so with single lens headlamp like Accord did? Many automakers continued on with two piece headlamps thru late 90s. In the mid-90s, the 1995 Acura CL-X concept started another era of Acura/Honda headlight styling where headlamps took a shape other than a rectangle, a square or a circle. The ... Read More

• What?

  Written by: markcincinnati on Jun 30, 2004 7:11:01 AM

  I do not dispute that Lexus (or most of them anyway) has joined the premium class of automobiles. However, any notion that Audi has somehow slipped backwards out of the premium class is, according to "independent" surveys just the opposite of what has been happening. Audi, through 1997, was a notch below premium, somehow always bubbling under the premium class (at that time basically BMW and Mercedes and perhaps another Euro ... Read More

• no title

  Written by: robertsmx on Apr 23, 2004 9:31:57 AM

  I find it amusing when people focus so much on weight bias (on paper) without considering how the chassis is set up and how the car actually performs. Shifting weight from front to rear does not guarantee a shift from understeer to oversteer (most rear heavy cars like NSX, Porsches do not oversteer easily, in fact they understeer until pushed). This is where suspension setup can play a role. In its ... Read More

• jrock65

  Written by: robertsmx on Apr 22, 2004 8:10:23 AM

  But does not having Navi and AWD mean that it's not a luxury car? No. But like I said, luxury is not about cutting back. It is about providing more than people need. More luxurious cars will have more excesses. If I were getting a car like RL, with all the features and AWD, for $45K, I wouldn’t whine about it a bit. My argument is that in the 40k to ... Read More

• no title

  Written by: robertsmx on Apr 13, 2004 12:06:34 PM

  Actually, the rear of the new RL is using Honda’s own styling elements. The crease near the tail lamp that many are pointing to as something similar in BMW 7-series, actually existed in 1996-1998 TL. The tail lamp itself is very similar in shape and size to those from Acura’s past as well. The front is, again, very RL-like, and the side seems to show Acura’s new lineage.

• Caddy vs Acura:

  Written by: carguy58 on Apr 11, 2004 10:51:48 AM

  You can't compare the 2. Acura post Legend era really wasn't that good. There was nothing wrong with the 96-98 TL but it just didn't sell as Honda wanted it too. Ever since the MDX Acura has started to regain its form. Caddy had its faults in the 90's too. Both Acura and Caddy fell behind the Germans and Lexus in the 90's. As far as Acura's cars using the same ... Read More

Luxury Performance Sedans

• 2005 Acura RL

  Written by: andy71 on Apr 11, 2004 6:42:44 AM

  Why is Acura trying to look retro? The 05 RL looks exactly like the 1998-2002 Accords. Lack of V8 is disappointing. People want the low rpm torque in luxury cars more than the high rpm horsepower. 300 Hp is certainly enough but that Hp should have been backed up by 340 ft-lb of torque at no higher than 4000rpm.

Acura RL

• Help!!

  Written by: mike734 on Mar 3, 2003 6:36:37 PM

  Two months ago, after owning this "new to me" 1998 RL for only one month, I noticed the temp gauge at H after only 1 mile first thing in the morning. I happened to be by my local car guy and stopped by for him to look at it. He felt the hoses and notice that they were not very hot or highly pressurized. He check the coolant and noticed it ... Read More

• Mercedes E320 vs. Acura RL

  Written by: mfaraino1 on Jan 26, 2003 1:00:47 PM

  Retnav, You're really talking about 2 entirely different cars and the way they are designed. I have a 2000 Acura RL and a 1998 MB E320. You are absolutely right about resale value. There is no way that the MB will depreciate as quickly as the Acura. You're going to pay about 15-20K more for the MB though (for the E320 not the E500). The Acura is more of a cruising ... Read More

• Nonexistent Acura Cust Service, Nav broken...

  Written by: orkinp on Nov 8, 2002 7:28:04 PM

  My TL I leased in 1998 experience was the reverse of that of my new 2002 RL! Not a thing wrong with TL. RL Nav is not fixable. Screen goes black for days at a time. It has been in the shop 3X for 3 weeks, Acura cannot fix it. I brought the car back to verify with my dealer. Customer Service in California does not return our calls! BEWARE of ... Read More

• RL Safety Data

  Written by: hsmoyers on Aug 27, 2002 5:25:12 PM

  The RL and other lower volume makes often do not get crash tested. There is a report from The Highway Loss Safety Institute(www.highwaysafety.org) that is entitled "Injury Collision and Theft Losses." This is based on actual loss data as I recall. The latest report says the index for Injury and Collision for a 1998-2000 Honda Civic is 125 for example. This is in a range termed "worse than average". An Accord ... Read More

• 98 RL Transmission

  Written by: slhtx on Aug 10, 2002 8:29:18 PM

  I have a 98 RL with 43k miles on it. Dealer just installed the THIRD transmission about a month ago. 4-year warranty expires Labor Day of 2002. This car has never been driven hard. Anyone else had trouble with a RL transmission, especially on a 1998? Any suggestions? Should I invest in an extended warranty (if so, how much will it cost), or will Acura North America take care of this ... Read More

• Resale value of the Acura RL - request for info

  Written by: mary623 on Jul 20, 2002 8:55:17 PM

  Okay, need some help here. Looking to trade-in my excellent condition 1999 RL with 60K mileage for a new RL. Absolutely love the car and am Acura lover for life but the resale value is making me think twice. Example: a 1997 Lexus LS400 ( NADA comparable luxery car comparable to the RL) with 57,768 mileage (dealer retail)is asking $29,500 VERSUS a 1998 Acura RL with 40K mileage (dealer retail) is ... Read More

• New 2002 RL

  Written by: 19645 on Dec 21, 2000 7:10:34 AM

  I agree it probably is a V6 with the FWD....The two dealers that I spoke with are afraid that it will become RWD since the perception is that it would be very poor in the snow. The dealers are anticipating that the price will be in the $50,000 range. I wanted to buy a 2001 RL but do not want to do anything until the prices are confirmed on the 2002 ... Read More